Rodent prevention

I have put out some traps, but the truck gets parked outside in the middle of the desert. Not going to catch them all, but hopefully get the ones that are doing the damage.

 

The author of that link is pitching his own product called "Coverseal" and his links/"sources" for why peppermint oil doesn't work are all from companies that have a monetary interest in selling their own pest repellant services. This is also posted as a Linkedin Pulse "article" which is as good as a Facebook post. In addition, there is a huge logical fallacy in claiming that rats can withstand the smell of peppermint oil because they can deal with sewage but they never took into the account that maybe it's not the stench but rather the type of smell that keeps them away. We have used peppermint oil with great success and so have many other people. The trick is that you have to be diligent in reapplying it every few weeks. YMMV.

 

Have you considered getting some feral cats? They are rodent killing machines.

We have a cat lady around here who traps feral cats in the city, neuters 'em, and then gives them to people in the country. My folks took 3 cats and their rodent population was obliterated within a couple weeks.

 

Many members in my Corvette club have tried both peppermint oil and mothballs trying to minimize mice damage to their Corvettes, neither work worth a damn. Another popular myth is using dryer sheets to keep mice away, however I've seen probably a dozen photos where mice/rats have made their nests in vehicles out of chewed up dryer sheets.

 

Slippery slope...

https://youtu.be/oNwmzDlyCt8

 

Outside cats don't last here with the coyotes. There is a program in the area that does the same thing. Pretty cool!

Might be worth if I can get 6 months- a year per cat.

 

I had the same problem with rats. Luckily, I started my plan before they chewed any wiring.

I prop my hood up (removes privacy), place a pie tin full of dessicant on the intake runners after a drive (gets "cooked"), run a photocell timer connected to lights pointed at the engine and throw a few smelly branches under the engine (mellaluca or mint plants). It has been working for 3 years. No signs of them anymore. The engine bay gets dirty though.

 

LOL....

Looking for a rodent hunter????

Don't waste time with a cat, feral or otherwise. Get a Terrier breed of dog. They are bred to hunt.

Don't believe me? Hop onto Utube, enter Terrier hunting rats.....enjoy the videos. There is also a pack of terriers in NYC who actively hunt rats.

True experience with my miniature schnauzer, a terrier, with killing rats. The first was a surprise to me. We were on a late walk. He launched off like shot on a dead run. Snapped the leash from my hand to disappear under bushes. Much barking, squealing, bush dancing......then calm. A moment later, my dog proudly pranced out of the bushes carrying his prize kill.....a rat that was about 1.5-2 kg (3-5 lbs). The rats in China are quite big. Over the next couple years, he dispatched 4 more. No training, just instinct. Now, home in the USA, he actively hunts rabbits and squirrels. Its a good thing his recall will break him off a chase and he can't climb.

 

Dryer sheets work for me on my snowblower, JD garden tractor and antique '57 to repel the mice. I place them all over the place and then leave the rest of the box under the hood, seat and trunk.

 

Fluid film works or any other oily spray. My truck is rust proofed and very oily, they have to travel through the oil to get to wires, they don’t. On my car, no rustproofing, they’ve chewed insulation, I spray that area with fluid film, they don’t come back.

Squirrels are the biggest problem, we have the small red ones.

 

We have lots of packrats and mice where I live. I found leaving the hood up, with one of those battery sonar lights as well as having my truck parked near a motion light has pretty much stopped it. I also trapped for a while and see much less rodent poop around now. Thought about barn cats but they also decimate birds and we have coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions here.

Peppermint oil seems to help but doesn't last long. If you can keep lights on nearby that works best IME. I also put mesh over my intake tube on the Taco as they love that airbox.

One nice thing about living in Phoenix when I did is no rodents. Just a billion scorpions.

 

the cab safe pouches and this spray right here works great. Can find it at just about any farm store. my side by side and 4 wheeler set in the barn idle for days. I spray this stuff all over it and throw a couple pouches under the seat in a empty spot or by tool pouch. Also the rodent spray if you park in the garage, spray the floor real good and pull in that spot, just have to refresh every once in a while. Also don't leave dry dog or cat food around. They packed the under side of my Tundra intake full till I started doing this. Mothballs are for snakes.